Guest Blog by George O’Shaughnessy featuring Margarida Seruya.
“Art can be used as a powerful language of the heart,
transcending barriers and fostering social communication
through colours, strokes and melodies.”
George O’Shaughnessy
Fostering creativity and art in education has become more crucial than ever before. On a recent visit to Portugal, a country rich in cultural heritage, I witnessed first-hand the unique opportunity to harness the power of creativity and art to unlock the potential of its children and young people.
After training together in Oxford and supporting the mobile pop-up Art Room Therapeutic Studio at a local secondary school, I had the honour of reconnecting with Margarida Seruya Santos during an inspiring visit to Academia TEN, a not-for-profit educational project based in Lisbon.
“Creativity has the power to unleash individuality
and provides a platform for young people
to express themselves authentically.”
Margarida Seruya
Founder of Projeto Darte &
Co-ordinator of Academia TEN
TEN stands for: “Tu Eu Nós” (You, Me, Us) and the project aims to inspire a paradigm shift in the education system, predicated on creating meaningful relationships and safe contexts for students to learn about themselves, define goals and work relentlessly to achieve them.
This ambitious educational project works on different levels of the education system. TEN gives daily after-school support to students aged 5-18, to nurture and inspire young creative minds in the education system. They also offer counselling for families and educators, as well as offering consulting for schools and other educational projects.
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Another important characteristic of Academia TEN is the way they bring people together from different contexts, providing inclusive education by building community and cohesion whilst also creating peer-to-peer support; the result is the hope of long-lasting friendships developed in an atmosphere that appreciates the beauty of diversity.
Academia TEN employs innovative nurturing methods to harness ambition, resilience, creativity and other important attitudes. Taking place every afternoon and housed in a previously used school building, the comfort of the children is given optimal importance by utilising an environment that they have grown to be comfortable in. Academia TEN believe this support and help will support children and young people to grow and achieve, and one of their tools is Projecto Darte, which provides vital creative intervention.
Talking with the centre director, psychotherapists and educators at Academia TEN, I could see their passion for teachers to feel supported and empowered, ultimately allowing teachers to develop students with a sense of individuality and self-confidence. The firm belief is that this can only in turn foster a greater appreciation for diversity and inclusivity.
Despite the knowledge available on the power and impact of the Arts in education, and the many people already working to bring the Arts to the centre of school activity, numerous students in Portugal have limited access to the Arts in their school environment. Resources are expensive and there is still a lot of emphasis on the STEM disciplines.
Through experimenting with Arts, students can learn to identify, process, and communicate their emotions effectively. This emotional intelligence not only enhances their interpersonal skills but also develops empathy and understanding towards others, fostering healthier relationships and a more harmonious society. Academia TEN and Projecto Darte share my belief that developing creativity supports cognitive development and enhances learning capabilities.
Projecto Darte alongside Academia TEN are promoting artistic activities that provide an avenue for emotional expression and exploration, believing that Art has a unique power to connect families on a profound level. Whether through creating, appreciating, or discussing art, it serves as a bridge that transcends generations, backgrounds and differences. Art enables families to bond, express emotions and explore their creativity together fostering deeper connections and shared experiences that can be cherished for a lifetime.
“Opening to your creativity changes you…
to a more fully functioning,
more conscious, more co-operative part of the ecosystem…”
Julia Cameron,
The Artist’s Way